The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course witnessed an electrifying start to the Permco MotoAmerica Superbikes weekend, with riders pushing the limits on the 2.4-mile track. Under the sweltering summer heat six classes took to the circuit, rewriting the record books and setting the stage for an action-packed weekend.
The dry-track sessions on Friday proved crucial as the forecast predicts rain for both Saturday and Sunday. Teams are now preparing for a potentially dramatic shift in racing conditions, making the initial performances all the more valuable.
Superbike class sees tight competition
The Quad Lock Superbike class concluded day one with Sean Dylan Kelly of OrangeCat Racing leading the pack aboard his BMW M 1000 RR. Kelly secured the fastest lap by the narrowest of margins, finishing just 0.400 seconds ahead of PJ Jacobsen from Rahal Ducati Moto with XPEL.
Loris Baz riding for Warhorse HSBK Ducati Flo4Law completed the top three. Meanwhile, Benjamin Smith and Cameron Petersen both recorded times of 1:25.130 placing them 0.387 seconds behind the leader. The competition is fierce, with just over one second separating the top nine riders.
Twins Cup makes historic debut
The Twins Cup class made its inaugural appearance at Mid-Ohio, attracting a record 44 riders. Hank Vossberg the current points leader, set a new lap record with a time of 1:29.809 aboard his Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660. He was closely followed by Matthew Chapin and Bodie Paige from M4 ECSTAR Suzuki who finished within four-tenths and over a second of Vossberg’s time, respectively.
Isaac Woodworth from Karns/TST Industries Racing claimed fourth place, while Sam Drane of Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing completed the top five aboard his Yamaha YZF-R7.
Mission King Of The Baggers and other classes
In the Mission King Of The Baggers class, Hayden Gillim set a new lap record with a time of 1:27.245 despite crashing in the morning practice session. His teammate Troy Herfoss finished second, with Kyle Wyman from Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing in third.
The Mission Super Hooligan National Championship saw Bryce Kornbau and Andy DiBrino from BPR Racing Yamaha take provisional pole and second place, respectively. Gus Rodio from Rodio Racing completed the front row aboard his Ducati Streetfighter V2.
In the Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. class, Jasmine Noelle opened her final weekend of the season with a strong bid for the championship title, setting a lap time of 1:53.038.
